Pressure gauge indicator



H. D. CARLTON PRESSURE GAUGE mmcA'roR Filed Aug. 18. 1927 Patented May 10, 1932 HENRY n. cARL'ron, or oNrcLAm, NEW JERSEY, ssIGNoR, BY mEsivE SSIGNMENTS,

T CONSOLIDATED ASHCROFT nAnoocK COMPANY, or nnwxonx iv. ,YQLA 0012, o

' PoRArIon or DELAWARE rnnssunn GAUGE INDICATOR Application-filed-.augustm,1927. Serial No. 213,754.

This invention relates to indicating" devices, such as pressure gauges, and afii'ords means for accurately adjustingthe actuat- .ing andrecording elements thereof and positively retaining such adjustment.

V In apparatus 'such' as pressuregauges', and especially those of the Bourdon tube type, in which variations in pressure are indicated by theexpansion or extension and contraction of the free end of an expan'sible tube, it is necessary to multiply such movements for the purpose of more accurate observation and record. Owing to the intrinsic variations in the specific properties of the materials used, itis also necessary, both inmanufacture and in the course of the ordinary conditions of use, to adjust the relationshipof the actuating and indicatingpartsso that the motion of the pressure tube (or actuating element) shall be transmitted tothe indicatorin the proper ratio" and sothatthe desired range'of values to be indicated shall correspond to those designated bythe indicator dial. k

Heretofore such adjustments" of the actuating and indicating members have neces sitated thedisassembly of the apparatus,including the removal of the indicator anddial. As a con se quence,' it has been necessary; to make an' approximation of the adjustment required, with the'indicator or dial removed,

and then to replace the dial to determine whether the adjustment made is correct. If not, the dial must be removed again in order tomakea second adjustment, and so forth,

bytrial and error, until'a sufliciently correct approximation has been arrived at.'- For this reason it is extremely; diflicult to make a correction and oftenimpracticable to repeat such experimentations;until a satisfactorily accurate adjustment has been' secured; In apparatus heretofore used for such purposes, the parts, after adjustment, require tightening .or locking in the adjusted position. Frequently, in thus securingthe parts I together, the adj ustnient is disturbed so that, althoughaccurately corrected, it is again'incorrect before the" apparatus is ready to'be put into use. I Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the charsector 11 on the end of a lever arm 12.

acter described in which these difliculti'es and inaccuracies Ofad uStment' are overcome and,

in which the'instrument'may be positively adjusted and will jpermanently retain the adjusted relationship. Other objects of; the

invention ,will appear from the following description.

x The inyention w ill be described with re 'spect to its application to pressure gauges,

a specific embodiment thereof beingillus trated. in the ac companying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a front eivaidn of a gauge with a partzof the dial and indicator broken away Fig. 2 is a section along the line l2 2 of along line 33 of Fig.2,"

"' Fig.- 3 is a'detail endiviewi of the lever arm Fig.5 is a'plan View or a modified form of the motion transmitting device and Fig. 6 isa side elevation'of the sameJ- irFlg' "ii-is adetail Sidand n iwgor the o. adjustment screw; 7 v v Referring to Figs' 1 and 2, the gauge includes a nipplel leading into the casing 2 ofthe gauge and connectedin the usual way to one end ofthe Bourdon pressure'tube 3,

the other end 4 of which is free to respondto variations of pressure therein! In the center of the caslngls mountedan indicator or pointer- 6 upon the upper 'endof staff 7 [which extends through thecenter of a. dial 8 provided with'suitable graduations .9j to indicate, for example, the number of pounds of steam pressure, etcqrepresented by a'gi'ven movement of the pressure tube. V Thestafi 7 is provided with a toothed pinion 10 which meshes with a, rack or'gear latter is pivoted on a hired 'post'13- and provided at its. opposite endwith a radially disposed slot '14 and a bent terminal piece15,

a stem, 17- projecting upwardly through the 'slotf l land retainedin-positon by lock nut '18- on itsupper' end) is threaded longitudinally, as at 19, to receive a screw-threaded adjusting member 21. This screw-threaded The IA sliding member such as a block 16, (having member 21 passes freelyf through an. opening inthe end piece 15 of the lever arm 12,

i and has a knurled head 22 at its outer end which is slotted to receive a screw driver at 20. The outer surface of the piece is provided with radial detents 23 (as shown in Fig. 3) which engage corresponding detents 2d on the inner surface of the knurledhead 22 '(Fig. 4). The sliding block 16 is also provided with a recess to receive one end of tube-3,1; m a j- 1': V In. operation ofxthe gauge as'thus con- .ajcompression spr-ing'26i whichsurrounds the screw .21. .andibear's, atiits;io'pposite. end, 7 'againstthe terminal piece-15. The upper end of the stem 17 may be pivoted to a link member 27 (as by screw which is pivot-v ally connected at its opposite end, by tl1e,, screw 28 to the free end 4 of the Bourdon structed, an increase of steam pressure in .the Bourdon tube 3 tendsj to straighten out ytheend of the tube 3. This motion is trans ,mitted byllink27. through the blockl fi to the lever arm l2 and in turn through the rack and pinion 11 and 10 to the pointer or indicator 6 which sweeps over the dial and 15. This forces the detents on the opposed surfaces of the head 221 and projection 15 position shock, etc; under the conditions of use. Moreover, an extremely fine degree of niove indicatesupon the scale 9 the pressure im pressed upon theinstrumen-t. In case of no pressure, the lever arm 12 will assumetthe position indicated'by. dottedlines' in Fig 1,

opening 29 in'thecasing2 If adjustment between the actuating member and the indicator is required, thismay withlits outer end disposedopposite to an be promptly eflected by inserti'ng a- 'serew driver-through the opening 29 into-the slot 20 of knurled head 22 and turning the screw.

The compression spring 26. normallyiorces the slide member 16 radially inward, thus drawing the head v 22. against ,the projection into firm engagement, but upon positively turning the screw 21, these, detent surfaces ride over each otherand again mesh firmly upon release, thuspreventing either d rection. I

slippage in The slide memberlfi is thus positively adjusted lengthwise ofthe slot 14 and is -posi-' .tively and immediately retained in adjusted against subsequent vibrations,

mentis easily accomplished in this manner. Thus, for example, if thescrew 21 has fortyeight threads. corresponding to the linear immediately determined what further correction is required. When accurate adjustment is attained it is automatically retained by the interlocking of the opposed detent surfaces already described and. alsobyengagement'of the screw-threaded member 21 with the slide member 14in conjunction with compression spring 26. s In the modified; formof motion; transmitting device shown in Figs. .5 and c6, in which like numeralsi'ndi'cate corresponding parts, the lever arm 12 is madein two sectiensa'pi voted part 12 and an extension member 12. The former has a machine screw 31" which serves to fasten the same to 30 post 13= A; second machine screw 32is disposed radially with respect tojthei first, and both of these screws pass througha slot; 33 in the extensionmember 12to 'seeurelthe members 12" and 12', frictionally together. By sliding the sections 12. and 12.7 relatively to each other and then tightening the screws .31 and 32, an extension .or; contraction and hence a corresponding approximate. adjust.- ment .ofthe two sections may bereadily's'ecured. The more accurate adjustment 'of the device may then be obtained in the manner a-bovedescribedLfl 7 I claim:

l. A motion transmitting for sure gauges and the. like, comprising a lever arm, a slide Imou-nted. to he... moved longitudinallyof the arm, a tensionelement tending to holdthe'sl-ide in an extended .po'sitionon said arm, and a screw, element in threaded en- :5

.gagement with theslide andrbearingagain'st a .partofsaid arm, to. adjust and retain the slide in fixedrelative position. with respect to .the

arm, inoppositionto theten'sion element; J

2. In a pressu-re gauge, comprising a pressure responsive element and an indicator element, motion transmitting means interposed between said elements, including a. lever, a membermounted to he slid longitudinally of the lever, a tension element tending to hold the slide member in an extended position on said arm, a screw element. in threadedeng'agement with the slide member and bearingl'upon the arm injopposition to the tension element,

to adjust andretain the slide member; in fixed at. jrelative positionwith respectto the arm, and means connecting the slide member to the pressure responsive element.

3. In apressu-re gauge, COIIIPI'lSlIlgH pressure responsive tube, an indicator dial, and a E gear wheel carrying aniindicating, pointer thereon swinging over the dial,'motion tra'nsmittingmeans interposed between the tube .and the pointer, including; a pivoted lever arm, a gear sectorthereonmeshing withtlie Z 92 gear: wheel of theiindicating pointer, aYslot in the'1ever arm,.as1ide. freely movable therein, a stop member on the lever arm, aconipression spring received between the slideand stop members, a machine screw 7th day of July, 1927.

engagement at one end with the slide, the other end passing freely through the I stop member, and having an enlarged head thereon, intermeshing detents upon opposedjsurfaces of said stop member and screw'head, and a link connecting the slide member to the free end of the pressure responsive tube. 4. A motion transmitting device for pressure gauges and the like comprising an actuating element, an indicator element, a lever member, an extension member adjustably mounted thereon, a member slidably mounted on said extension member, means pivotally connecting the actuating elementto the slide member, means for posltively adjusting and yieldably locking the relative position ofthe slide member to the extension member and means connecting the lever member to the indicator element. 7

5. Ina pressure gauge, comprising a pressure tube and an indicator, motion trans mitting means interposed between thetube and the indicator including a pivoted lever arm engaging the indicator, an extension member adjustably aflixed thereto, a member slidably mounted upon the extension member, means connecting the slide member to the pressure tube, and means for positively adjusting and retaining the relative positions of the slide member and extension member.

6. In. a pressure gauge, comprising a pressure tube and an indicator, motion transmitting means interposed between thetube and the indicator including a pivoted lever arm engaging the indicator, an extension member adjustably aflixed thereto, a member slidably mounted upon the extension member, means connecting the slide member to the pressure tube, and screw-adjustment means I having screw threaded engagementwith' the slide member and engaglng the 'GXtGIlSlOIl member for positively adjusting and retaining the relative positions of the slide member 7 and extension member.

Signed by me at New York, New York, this HENRY CARLTON. 

